Developmental Changes in LD Readers' Encoding Preferences

Abstract

The present study addressed the question, “Do encoding preferences underlie disabled readers' recall deficiencies and, if so, what cognitive mechanisms influence these preferences?” The free recall of learning disabled readers, ages 8 and 10, was compared with that of nondisabled readers during directive and nondirective encoding conditions. The former training condition was implemented to assess the independent effects of semantic and nonsemantic encoding. Both ability groups were found to recall more semantically than nonsemantically organized items. Age and ability group differences emerged in recall, but not in retrieval organization. During the nondirective phase readers' encoding preference for categorically organized and unrelated items was assessed. Although no ability group differences emerged, disabled readers preferred to encode categorically organized items nonsemantically whereas nondisabled readers organized items by semantic features. Results, discussed in terms of mismatch between encoding and retrieval processes, semantic cohesiveness of item retrieval, and children's word knowledge base, question the popular notion that strategy training eliminates processing differences between ability groups.